WHO Chief Visits DR Congo Epicentre as Ebola Outbreak Worsens

World Health Organisation (WHO) Director-General, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, on Saturday arrived in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), the epicentre of a rapidly expanding Ebola outbreak that has already claimed hundreds of lives and raised concerns across the region.

Tedros landed in Bunia, the capital of Ituri Province, one of the areas hardest hit by the outbreak, where he met with health officials, community leaders and response teams battling the spread of the deadly haemorrhagic disease.

Speaking shortly after his arrival, the WHO chief stressed that while international partners remain committed to supporting the Congolese government, community participation remains critical to ending the outbreak.

“The international community is helping the government of the Democratic Republic of Congo, but community ownership is equally important,” Tedros told reporters.

“That is why we are here to discuss with communities, assess the response on the ground and identify challenges that may require additional support.”

According to the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), the outbreak has resulted in at least 1,077 suspected cases and 246 deaths since it was officially declared on May 15.

Health experts believe the actual scale of infections may be significantly higher because the virus is thought to have circulated undetected for some time before authorities identified the outbreak.

The disease has now spread across three eastern provinces of the DRC and into neighbouring Uganda, where authorities have confirmed nine infections and one fatality.

The outbreak presents a major challenge for the DRC, particularly in its conflict-ridden eastern region, where decades of insecurity, population displacement and weak healthcare infrastructure continue to hamper disease surveillance and emergency response efforts.

WHO officials have warned that limited laboratory testing capacity and difficulties accessing remote communities may further complicate efforts to accurately determine the outbreak’s true extent.

Health authorities are continuing to intensify surveillance, contact tracing and community awareness campaigns in a race to contain the virus before it spreads further across the region.